Loom apparatus



Aug. 9, 1932.

- W. E. BUCHANAN LOOM APPARATUS Filed June 4, 1951 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 9, 1932 Umrro sraras PATENT crater;

WILLIAM EUGENE BUCHANAN, OF APPLETON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO APPLETON WIRE WORKS, INC., 015 APPLETON, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN LOOM APPARATUS Application filed June 4,

The invention relates to wire-weaving looms.

In my'co-pending application for Letters Patent for method and means for weaving Fourdrinier wires, Serial No. 463,171, filed June 28, 1930, there was disclosed loom apparatus including a straight-edged cloth-engaging member extending transversely above the wire cloth adjacent the fell for securing the production of strong and durable wire cloth with a smooth flat surface.

It is an object of the present invention to effect improvements in this apparatus to the end of facilitating the positioning of the cloth-engaging member with respect to the cloth and increasing the smoothness and durability of the cloth-engaging member.

A more specific object of the invention is to form the cloth-engaging member by a 2g shiftably mounted metal bar coated with chromium or other hard wear-resisting metal and presenting a plurality of selectively usable polished wearing surfaces.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawing 1 is a detail sectional elevation of a portion of a wire-weaving loom embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation of the cloth-engaging member.

In the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the frame of a wire-weaving loom on the up per portions of which is suspended a swinging lay 11 provided with the usual reed 12. The side members of the frame 10 are connected at their forward portions by the usual breast beam 13 over which the finished wire cloth 14 passes on its way to the cloth beam (not shown). l Varp wires 15 extend from a warp beam (not shown) and pass between the dents of the reed, as usual, to the finished wire cloth 14 of'which they become a part. In Fig. 1, the lay is shown in full lines at its forward position engaging the face of the work, and the retracted position of the lay is indicated by dotted lines. The general 1931. Serial No. 542,076.

construction of the loom is exemplified in United States Patent No. 1,391,485, issued September 20, 1921, to Albert B. Weissenborn. In a loom of the general type shown in this patent, the swinging lay operates as usual to beat up the weft wire left by the shuttle in its travel through the shed formed between the warp wires by the alternate reciprocation of the heddles. At the moment the reed strikes the newly laid weft wire, alateral component of force is present displacing the newly woven cloth upwardlv and causing it to vibrate. Under normal weaving conditions, the wire cloth remains fiat because the gage, temper and spacing of the warp and weft wires are suitably selected. However, when any departure is made from specifications known to be favorable to the.

production of flat cloth, it is found that ridges or waves appear in the newly woven cloth, caused in some measure by unequal displacement of the warp wires from the plane of the cloth.

In order to overcome this difiiculty and to permit the weaving of flat wire cloth of widely varying specifications, means are pro vided engaging the upper surface of the wire cloth adjacent the fell to prevent any vi bration of the newly woven cloth and to hold the cloth perfect-1y fiat atthe moment the reed strikes the fell.

Brackets 16 are mounted at the opposite ends of the breast beam 13 and suppOrt thereon a channel beam 17 extending above and in spaced parallel relation to the breastbeam. In the case of the wide loom, the channel beam 17 may be supported at intermediate portions by one or more standards 18. Brackets 19 are secured to the channel 17 and are provided with arms 20 extending toward the fell. Brackets 21 areclamped to the arms 20 and are provided with inclined flanged portions to which is fixedly secured a fiat inclined metal bar 22 extending across and above the newly woven cloth in parallel adjacent relation to the fell and spaced above the cloth, the inclination of-the bar permitting the weaver to view the newlyformed edge of the cloth; 4 I I A flat metal bar 23 having a polished coating 24 of chromium or other hard wear-resisting metal extends along the lower portion of the bar 22 and is provided with a series of medially disposed spaced transverse openings 25 through which pass screws 26 threaded into the bar 22 to clamp the bar 23 in place, the openings being larger than the screw shanks to permit adjustment of the bar. In 7 the case of chromium, the metal may be electroplated onto the bar 23. The bar 23 is provided with rounded opposite edges 27 the lower of which bears against the upper surface of the wire cloth near the fell. The bar bears down on the cloth with sufiicient pressure to insure the engagement'of the cloth therewith at all points, but ordinarily this pressure need not be very heavy. The proper ,contact of the bar with the cloth can readily beobtained by shifting the bar in its plane. This displacement of the cloth by the bar is quite small and insufficient to affect the tension in the warp banks of the shed. V

p In operation, when the lay falls, bringing the reed forcibly against the newly laid weft wire, the upward component of force on the edge of the cloth is communicated to, and resisted by, the stationary bars 23 and 22 which prevent vibration or displacement of the cloth. The bars maintain the newl r formed edge of the wire cloth perfectly flat and function much the same as an anvil in resisting the upward force on the cloth.

By reason of the hard polished wear-resisting surface on the bar 23 the cloth will not be marked or scored, and when the contacting edge eventually becomes worn, three other fresh edges are available for selective use by reverslng the bar side for side and and means for securing said bar to said suport. p 3. A cloth-levelling member for a wireweaving loom comprising a bar engageable with the surface of the wire cloth adjacent the fell to level the cloth during the lay blow and having a plurality of selectively usable polished chromium-plated wearing surfaces.

4. A cloth-levelling member for a wirew'eaving loom comprising a flat bar engageable with the surface of the wirecloth adjacent the fell to level the cloth during the lay blow and having selectively usable polished chromium-plated wearing surfaces at opposite edges.

5'. A cloth-levelling member for Wireweaving looms comprising a bar engagea-ble with the surface of the wire cloth adj acentthe fell to level the cloth during the lay blow and having a cloth-engaging coatingof hard polished wear-resisting metal.

6. In a loom, the combination of-a frame for supporting thereon warp wires and woven wire cloth, and a bar extending transversely of the cloth in engagement therewith and having a coating of hard wear-resisting metal presenting a plurality of selectively usable polished cloth-engaging surfaces.

- In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM EUGENE BUCHANAN.

end for end. All adjustments of the clothengaging bar 23 can be effected without disturbing the position of the much heavier and rigidly mounted supporting bar 22.

, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: V .7 I

V 1, In a loom, the combination of a frame for supporting thereon warp wires and woven wire cloth, a lay swingably mounted on the fra-me for beating up weft wires into the fell, a support extending transversely of the wire cloth, cloth-leveling bar shiftably mounted on said support and extending transversely of the cloth and having a hard polished surface engaging the cloth adj a- Cent the fell, "and means for securing said V shiftably mounted bar to said support in a selected position with respect to the cloth.

2. In a loom, the combination of a frame for supporting thereon warp wires'and woven wire cloth, a lay swingablymou'nted on the frame for beating up weft wires into the fell,

a support extending trahsversely of the cloth, F

afiat shiftably mounted cloth-leveling bar-on said support extending. transversely of the cloth and having straight opposite edges *selectively'engaging'the cloth adjacent the fell, 

